The Newest Boy

My cousin Janet is a Grandma....I think she's diggin it.
My house wench Amanda is an Aunt. Austin is trying to eat her chin. I think she's diggin it.

I noticed that the best pictures of this little guy are when he's asleep. Because it's the only time I can get him in focus. He's a mover.

Again...asleep.

And at last...a cute crawl by smile.

He's In

Goodnight.

I have some snuggling to do.

Home

It's possible to be so relieved I'm in tears and so freakin mad at him that I just want to leave him out another night.

I heard Jack about 9pm when I went out to the car. Almost two hours later I still haven't gotten him to come in. He's so scared he won't come near me. I have all the doors open so he can just come in.

So here I am. On the edge of the hood. At almost 11pm. Laying on the couch with the front door wide open, the garage door wide open, the dog door propped open.

I'm giving him until midnight then I'm going to bed.

Now that I know he's alive...I more likely to just be irritated at him for being such a freak.

Missing

Since sometime overnight yesterday.

Freakin out just a little.

A Lot Of Pictures, A Few Words

So many of you know how crazy busy the last two weeks have been...lots of brother drama, two regattas, trucks reserved but not available, parents in town, party for my dad...yikes.

I've taken a lot of pictures and just simply didn't have the energy to make each one it's own post so here you go.
Two Fridays ago I spent some time running around with my friend Dave (who then loaned me his truck to get my boats to Topeka for a Regatta...Thanks Dave!).

One of the places we went was home to this little darling and her mother. Her name is Ruby and she is the sweetest little thing.

Her mom Princess is pretty sweet, too.

My kids missed a prom when we traveled to Austin so they had a 'fake' prom in the hotel after racing on Saturday. Aren't they darling.

We had some bumps and didn't advance out of the finals in any of our races but they did enjoy each other's company and everyone had an opportunity for growth and learning ('growth' and 'learning' is coach speak for we got our butts kicked)

They are, however, still the neatest people I know.

Then I hopped on a plane and flew home to spend the evening with these great people.

Sisters are amazing...I wish everyone had one as great as mine.

It was so amazing to see and meet the folks my dad has worked with and people who love him as much as we do.

Sunday morning I met with some gals I rowed with in college. WE got out on the Kaw for an alumni row.

We almost remembered how....


So that's it...carry on.

For MUD

I patted him on his cute little head, put him outside the fence and haven't seen him since.

Sorry to keep you in suspense...been a little busy here...

Nervous

They are nervous...and so am I. We've practiced our starts.
They look good, don't they?

Okay...well...they're teenage boys...what'd you expect.

They've worked hard.

Taken the strokes.

They just need good luck and positive vibes.

...can you send them some?

Too Funny Not To Share

So...some of you will recognize this as my bedroom.

Most of you will notice that this is most certainly NOT my dog.

I left this morning at 10am.

Returning just now around 3pm, I opened the door to my bedroom and found this very sweet, cute little fellow. Seems to be some Corgi cousin of Maggie's.

So what did I do? Closed the door quickly and ran to get my camera, of course!

No idea how he got in...I'm sure it was in the leaving process while trying to wrangle all the critters out.

He apparently napped all afternoon on my bed.

Weird....

Oh Yeah...

The mean dog eats poop.

Gross.

I Have A Dryer!

Things are drying as I type.

I know I'm supposed to be the green one.

I know I said yesterday that a dryer really isn't all that important.

But I am so excited to have things tumbling around in the basement!

Yeah me.

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy

Oh my, what a very long week.

This week I have learned:

How much I love my brother.

How strong my sister is.

What a wonderful woman my brother chose to love.

How terribly lucky he is that she loves him.

How great and supportive my parents are...all four of them.

How little sleep I can still function with.

Stress is a very effective diet. (not one I recommend but hey...I'm not gonna complain)

Having someone do your laundry is such a wonderful kindness. (Thank you Carrie and Manda)

I don't need an alarm clock with River living here.

I need chocolate in my life.

My kids are really amazing and they actually are listening to what I'm trying to teach them.

I hate the rain.

If you put on wet tennis shoes...they never dry.

Living without a dryer is only as big an inconvenience as you let it be.

The mean dog can jump over the fence but only does if I lock the dog door.

Kids get excited over medals...doesn't matter what color.

And I'm sure I learned some other things too.......

The Thing Is...It IS My Brother

Really...that's what this crazy week has been about.

Mom and Julia (Bob's girl for those of you who don't know) and I were in the car yesterday talking about Grandma Petty (Mz Virginia) and her ability to send prayer straight to the big guy's ears.

We were apprehensive about letting everyone know exactly what was going on. Wanting to protect him, not embarrass him...respect his privacy.

But the thing is...he's sick. He's really sick and he has been for a very long time.

Monday his sickness almost killed him. It's not the kind of sickness he needs medication for...as a matter of fact...medication is his sickness.

If he were physically ill with a regular, see a physician kind of illness...we'd alert the troops. Everyone would pray...send him good vibes. Love him, support him.

He still needs that. Maybe more than if he were physically ill.

This cannot be a secret. Secrets are what almost killed him. That and the many, many pills he took to numb the pain that he feels from demons we can't even imagine.

Bob is an addict. He has had an addiction to prescription medication for many, many, many years. Before that he was addicted to illegal drugs.

Yesterday he said it out loud. "I'm addicted to prescription medication".

Pray for him. Pray that he has the courage to do the work to learn how to cope with his demons. Pray that he has the strength to make a choice, everyday for the rest of his life. A choice to live.

He will spend the next several weeks with people who can help him.

And he needs to spend the rest of his life with his friends and family who love him and will support him.

Mz Virginia...start those prayers.

If It's Not One Thing It's Your Brother

So...yesterday started out quietly enough...

I got up early and went to the gym to swim.

Arrived at work and began my day driving the big red truck.

About 8:30 my sister called and then began a day full of brother drama.

He's fine and I'll respect his privacy (and I hope ya'll do as well).

But that is not the real story of yesterday.

So...I'm right in the middle of brother drama and my cell rings.

It's the company from California that makes our uniforms. I'd begged, pleaded and convinced them to send our order overnight so the kids would have their stuff before this weekend (Denny...we'll be racing in Topeka!).

The club credit card was being declined. After a call to the bank where they told me that our club administrator need to phone them to fix the issue.

Of course I couldn't get him on the phone. So I paid for it myself.

Then...a few hours later my neighbor called. The killer dog was getting out of the fence. The neighbor finally got said killer dog in the yard and in the house.

Then a few hours later I was headed home to deal with killer dog and my assistant coach calls and my varsity girls had run our brand new quad into a PARKED pontoon boat. Pontoon boat is fine, girls are fine, quad is pretty dinged up.

Then, when I get home and our internet and home phone were not working.

Now...Monday, the dryer stopped working. So I guess I should have seen this coming.

I'm using today as a do over.

Me, My Mother And The Raccoon In The Attic

I had lunch with my mother last week and she mentioned a smell at my step-grandparent's house. A dead smell.

Seems there might be a dead animal in the attic. Mom thought it might be a raccoon.

"Has anyone been up to see what it is?" I asked, innocently.

"Oh, no." Mom replied.

"Don't you think someone should go up?" said I...setting my own trap.

"Well...we thought about sending Matty up..." she answered.

Matty is my 11 year old nephew.

So I'm sure you can see what happened next.

I went up in the attic.

The smell was in the far corner of the house from the attic access hole in the garage.

So up I went. Crawling across the attic on the joists...on my knees. Comfortable.

And there...in an inaccessible corner. Sure enough.

A. Big. Dead. Raccoon.

Good times.

I couldn't get to him...he was tucked in a corner just out of reach.

After some consultation with my step dad...who was conveniently at work.

We decided to cut him out.

I prepared myself.

But there are just some things you can't truly prepare for.

He was stuck. Really stuck.

After much pulling and trying not to vomit. I successfully removed the dead, stinky raccoon from the ceiling.

Then after I showered, my mom and I went and had a beer.

Okay, I had two.

The Bridge To Madagascar

The following is a conversation I just had with Andrew.

He's 7.

Loves geography and maps.

Is afraid to fly.

Andrew: "You know Madagascar? The place...not the movie?"

Me: "Yeah"

Andrew: "It's by Africa."

Me: "Yeah...wouldn't it would be fun to go there someday?"

Andrew: Silent pause. "But I'm afraid of heights."

Me: "That's okay...someday you'll fly."

Andrew: Another silent pause. "I thought there's a bridge. With gas stations so we can stop sometimes."

So...at least when we are driving across the bridge to Africa there will be gas stations. Good thing. I'm sure I'll need a diet coke. And he'll need a bathroom.

I Heart My Rowin' Kids

I just do.

For reasons that are to numerous and time consuming to list.

If you have a few days...I'll sit down and tell you all the things about them that make me proud/laugh/smile/shrug/cheer/etc.

It might take a week.

Sock

So...this post is going to require a lot of visualization.

Ready?

Last shift we got a call after I was already in bed. Not asleep...but in my room reading...about 9pm.

We leave our bunkers next to our beds so we can be dressed and ready to go quickly if we get an alarm.

Remember that our boots stay inside our pants...like the picture above.

I don't like to sleep in socks. So I leave a pair of socks perched on top of my boots so I can quickly slip them on.

But my feet were cold when I got in bed so for some reason I got another pair of socks and put them on...leaving my other socks on top of my boots.

We get an alarm.

It's a medical call. I quickly shove my feet into my boots, pull the bunkers up and hurry to the rig.

We're on scene. An older lady not feeling well. I'm standing in her bedroom. Doing my usual clipboard duty. Writing down meds, vitals, history.

At some point I look down at my feet.

And there, on the floor, is my sock.

I think for a minute.

Casually reach down, pick it up and shove it in my pocket.

All the while listening to the patient's daughter recite her medical history.

She saw me pick it up.

It was obviously a sock.

Neither of us said a word.

Yeah.

I felt pretty cool.

And professional.

US Naval Academy Performance Kings Firecracker

This 8 minute video is worth every second.

Amazing!

Still Here

Not gone...just sooooooo busy.
Don't lose hope...I have some great pics and a rowing video for ya'll to look forward to.
Off to Tulsa this weekend...check back next week.
Love ya!

Birthdays, Drums and His Two Front Teeth

Uncle AsaBob turned 40 on Wednesday so today we went out to eat and then back to the Bates house for cake and drum solos.

Loud but fun.

And someone finally lost that last front tooth. Cute don't ya think.

A Walk In The Woods

Things have been very busy for me and it's been a few days since I've been able to get River to the lake for a walk. I was starting to think her head might explode if we didn't get a little exercise....so this morning, even though it was really nasty out....off we went.

I was trying to get some video of the wiggle...She was wearing her muzzle and I think it subdues the wiggle a bit.

It so very nice to have a place to walk so close to home where I can let her run. During the week we go pretty early in the day and I feel very comfortable letting her run un-muzzled. But on the weekend...even in really crummy weather...I'm always worried that someone else might be walking. She's still so unpredictable that the muzzle is necessary. Sad, but necessary.

She's a work in progress.

But then again, aren't we all.

I Heart Google

Green Bowling Balls

April will be our last month of bowling league until Fall. We aren't very good. Strange thing though...we weren't very good when we started...and we haven't gotten any better.

But we're having fun and the beer is cold.

Happy Green Spring Month

Yep, More Dog Pictures!

This morning I decided to load up all three dogs and go to the lake for our morning walk. Most of you have met Maggie and know that she is...well...vertically challenged. Short legged.
We spent a lot of time waiting for her to catch up.

And it's not like we were walking fast.

River was, as usual, sprinting around. But Rescue and I were walking very leisurely. Maggie...she had to jog some to keep up.

I just liked this picture of River.

What are they looking at?

Yep, some crazy sprinting dog running in and out of the woods.

There's a big hill going back to the car. It's a really big hill when you are an old, short dog.

Anyone suprised that River is the first one back ot the car? Every time.

It was fun to take all three. We'll do it again.

Let me know if you want to come along.

I Wish I Could Photograph The Wiggle

Today we went to the lake and the lake road was closed due to the snow.

So we got to walk right down the middle of the road!

River stops and poses anytime I lift the camera.
''Scue poses but she has no idea what for...she can't see the camera.

River loves to run through the woods and the sprint back. It's the wiggle as she gets closer to me that I'd love to capture. I need to try some video.

Rescue is never quite sure if she wants to follow.

7

7th birthdays are great!

Especially when you get that cool drumset you really wanted.

Wish I'd Taken My Camera

This post (and all other animal related posts for here on) is dedicated to my grandmother Mz Virginia. It's such a treat to read her comments and know that she is enjoying snippets of my crazy life with all these critters.

I've always felt that my intense love and connection with my animals comes from her. She told a story not long ago about some surgery she'd had and how her dogs Lady and Shadow gently crawled up onto the bed with her and laid, one on each side, one sweet doggie head on each of her shoulders. My grandfather came in and started to shoo them off. "Let them alone," she said. "They know what's going on."

I sleep most nights with one dog plastered up to one side of me, cats on either side and more recently the new dog on the other side. Like I'm a doggly mama sandwich. I sleep like a log. Comforted and secure with my buddies.

Okay...so, the rest of the story.

I've been working hard to get this crazy, wild, energetic dog walked every day.

This morning it was cold, gray and windy. But I knew that my planned day of relaxing at home would be more enjoyable if this sweet, furry, bouncing bundle of energy was tired.

So off to the lake we go. I thought about taking my camera but it didn't seem like a day that would lend itself to great photographs. I was wrong.

It was Rescue's turn to come along. Rescue and Maggie are taking turns...well, actually Rescue goes twice to Maggie's once...You know, "I'm old and my legs are short" and all. So Mags happily curled up on her pillow in the garage and the other two loaded up.

Rescue has lost most of her sight in the last few years and has also lost much of her hearing. She's the Helen Keller of dogs. She has been sticking pretty close as we walk the trail through the woods at the lake. It's such a nice place to walk. I can see the whole trail before we start as it wraps around our cove at the lake. This allows me to scout for bank fishermen that River might try to eat. If the coast is clear I take her off lead and let her run. She's wearing her muzzle now and I'm pretty comfortable with her recall.

Today Rescue was much bolder in her activity. Following River into the woods, down to the bank, up the hill, back to the trail, into the woods, down to the bank, back to the trail...got the pattern?

River, of course, does it all at a dead run. Rescue, more deliberately...trying not to run into trees, fall of the bank, lose me on the trail. It makes me nervous but she loves it so much. I just watch her close and yell REAL loud if she looks lost.

It was so fun today...except for the freezing my butt off part...watching them side by side through the trees. Exploring...burning off energy...being dogs...knowing that someday River and I will come to walk in the woods with out our goofy 'Scue. I will always, always take my camera from now on. Some pictures are too precious to miss.

And the best part...everyone is sound asleep!

I Shoulda Stayed In Bed

Yesterday.

Yesterday just sucked.

I woke up with a crick in my neck that progressed into an ugly headache.

I did get a nice massage but I didn't get to go home and nap afterwards.

It was so windy that I spent all of rowing practice trying to keep kids from getting into trouble.

And in the middle of practice I got a call that my dad is back in the hospital. Afib and some small clots...stable now but in the hospital for several days.

Went to bowling where I bowled....SOOOOOO bad. But the beer was cold.

Then when I got home I found an email from an old rowing friend that another old rowing friend in in her last days of a cancer fight. She's in her 30's.

Some days really suck.

17

For inquiring minds.

(Go Hawks!)